Undergraduate
Community Internship
Undergraduates with a GPA of 3.0 or better are eligible to take an internship (PSC 496) in political science. Students are responsible for finding the internship and it must be related to previous coursework that the student has completed or will be taking during the internship. Internships are commonly in a government office or agency in Western New York, but may involve work in other politically relevant organizations.
The academic component of the internship is crucial to receiving acadmic credit. Community Internships are similair to an Independent Study in that students must obtain the consent of two faculty members to serve as a first and second reader of the internship project. Normally, the first reader and the student at the outset of the semester identify readings to be done in conjunction with the internship and discuss expectations about the nature of the internship paper to be written during the course of the internship. Students typically earn 3 credit hours for an internship.
Please click here to download the Political Science Department Community Internship Application (PSC496). All paperwork must be handed in to 520 Park Hall by the end of the first week of classes. Late or incomplete paperwork will not be accepted. No internship credit will be awarded retroactively.
The Department also sponsors a state government and a national government internship programs. For more information about our Albany and Washington semester-long internships, please click on the corresponding links to the left.